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Club connects alumni worldwide

Notre Dame seniors will disperse across the country after graduation, but thanks to the Alumni Association, every single zip code in the U.S. is associated with a Notre Dame club.

Annie Duffy, worldwide clubs program director for Notre Dame’s Alumni Association, said there are 270 Notre Dame clubs across the world, 200 of which are in the U.S.

“We can pretty much guarantee that once you leave campus, you’ll be in a place where there’s a Notre Dame group,” Duffy said. “These clubs are made up of alumni, family and friends, they’re completely inclusive. They’re based off of everyone’s love for Notre Dame.”

The Alumni Association encourages seniors to update their information record with the University once they know where they will live after graduation so they can automatically be associated with the Notre Dame club in the area, Duffy said.

“Our clubs will hold events throughout the year, camaraderie events like game watches or networking happy hours,” she said. “A lot of our clubs have Catholic spirituality events like Mass and breakfast, and a lot provide support for current students, like a send-off in August where everyone can wish them well as they go back to campus.”

Duffy said the Alumni Association’s website, mynotredame.nd.edu, can connect graduated students with clubs in any particular city, and alumni are welcome to be a part of as many clubs as they want. Often times, the clubs are instrumental in helping graduates settle into their new lives, she said.

“We strongly encourage [graduates] to get proactively involved in the clubs,” Duffy said. “It can never hurt to reach out to them to see what they have going on. You can connect with recent graduates about where the best places to go are and what young graduates do in the city. It’s a great way to meet people and form friendships.”

The alumni clubs mark just one example of the Notre Dame family’s expansion off campus, Duffy said.

“Everyone really shares a passion for Notre Dame,” she said. “It’s tough for young alumni who are just graduating, you’ve been here for four years, you’ve formed this family and it’s always very sad to leave here.

“But knowing you have this common connection with alumni wherever you go is unbelievable. I think it’s that shared value and that love for Notre Dame that keeps everyone connected and gives us the strongest alumni network in the country.”